Different surgical procedures require the use of different sets of instruments or devices, the number of tools in the set depending upon the complexity of the procedure. Thus, prior to a particular procedure, a surgeon determines or knows from experience which instruments will be required. Those instruments are gathered together as a set, placed in a container, which is packaged in a plastic package and sterilized in an autoclave. The packed instruments are then stored in that sterile condition until ready for use. When the surgeon is ready to perform the procedure, the container is brought to the operating room and opened, exposing the still sterile instruments therein. Following use, the instruments are usually returned to the container and sent to a cleaning facility where the containers and instruments therein are placed in a washing machine which directs jets of water/detergent cleaning fluid at the containers and their contents to clean them prior to another sterilization.
To improve the circulation of cleaning fluid throughout the container, the container walls may be formed with a multiplicity of vent holes which may be used to anchor the various brackets which support and fixate the various instruments within the container. Examples of such containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,424,048; 5,681,539; 6,193,932 and 6,331,280.
Heretofore, the various containers and trays used for the above purposes have structures whose walls are more closed than open. In other words, the containers have planar walls with a multiplicity of vent holes therein leaving relatively wide webs of plastic extending between the vent holes, the total area of the webs invariably being much larger than the total area of the vent holes in order to maintain the structural integrity and rigidity of the container. As a result, when water/detergent or other cleaning fluid impinges upon the container during the cleaning process, the fluid may not come into intimate contact with all the inside surfaces of the webs with the result that those surfaces will not be cleaned to the extent that they should be. That is, as the cleaning fluid is directed into the container through the vent holes, turbulent flow occurs causing the fluid to flow past portions of the flat interior surfaces between the holes resulting in a shadow effect thereon and insufficient cleaning of the flat surface portions within those shadows.
In order to obtain a better circulation of cleaning fluid through the container during washing, it has been contemplated to use a more open structure for the container, i.e. one composed of intersecting ribs wherein the total area of the openings into the container between the ribs totals much more than that of the ribs bounding the openings. Thus it has been contemplated to form a tray or container of metal wire coated with a plastic material, i.e. similar to a dishwasher rack. Although such an open structure composed of intersecting ribs allows maximum circulation of fluid through the container with minimal shadow effect, it is not particularly suitable for medical applications. During normal usage over time, a plastic coating can be scratched or otherwise damaged by medical instruments, exposing the underlying metal wire, which will oxidize and provide sites for the buildup of bacteria. Also when such a wire structure is deformed, it will tend to remain so with the result that it may not inter-fit properly with other components of the container system. For example, if a wire tray is deformed, its cover may not fit properly on the tray.
Of course, the above problems can be avoided by molding the container or tray entirely of plastic as has been done for clothes baskets, soap dishes and the like. However, such molded plastic open structures are constituted of intersecting webs or ribs, which are thin and have a rectangular cross section. The containers of this type are not rigid enough to protect sensitive medical instruments. Also, since the inner and outer surfaces of those ribs are flat, they suffer the same shadow effect discussed above in connection with perforated plastic trays, albeit to a lesser extent. While the former problem can perhaps be alleviated by thickening the ribs, the latter problem cannot.
Thus it would be very advantageous if there existed a container for holding medical instruments during washing and cleaning processes which has the advantages of plastic coated metal wire baskets in terms of strength and rigidity and none of the aforesaid disadvantages thereof.